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What is CVE-2023-20178?A high-severity flaw in Anyconnect Secure Mobility Client, explained.

High severity2 affected products
The short answer

CVE-2023-20178 is a high-severity flaw (CVSS 7.8) in Anyconnect Secure Mobility Client from Cisco, published on 28 June 2023. It is not on the list of flaws known to be exploited today. The latest forecast puts its chance of use in the next 30 days at 5.4%. If you run an affected version, plan in the vendor’s fix.

Check if it affects you →How to fix it

Published 28 June 2023. Record last updated 25 January 2024. We keep this page's data up to date.

What it does

What is CVE-2023-20178? In plain terms.

An attacker has to be already on the device with an ordinary user account, and nobody has to click anything. If it works, the attacker can read data, change data and take it offline.

The official description

A vulnerability in the client update process of Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client Software for Windows and Cisco Secure Client Software for Windows could allow a low-privileged, authenticated, local attacker to elevate privileges to those of SYSTEM. The client update process is executed after a successful VPN connection is established. This vulnerability exists because improper permissions are assigned to a temporary directory that is created during the update process. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by abusing a specific function of the Windows installer process. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute code with SYSTEM privileges.

What kind of flaw is it?

  • CWE-276Incorrect Default Permissions
CVSS 3.1 scoreHigh · 7.8

How an attack on it works

Read straight from its severity rating, translated out of the shorthand.

  • Where an attacker can beAlready on the device
  • How hard it is to pull offEasy: no special conditions
  • Login needed firstAn ordinary user account
  • Does someone have to clickNo, nobody has to do anything
  • What an attacker getsCan read data, change data and take it offline

Severity vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Exploitation

Is CVE-2023-20178 being exploited? Not that we know of.

It is not on the list of flaws known to be exploited today. The latest forecast puts the chance of it being used in the next 30 days at 5.4%. That can change at any time, which is why we keep watching.

Known to be exploitedNoNot on the list of exploited flaws today
Chance of use in the next 30 days5.4%Its EPSS score, from the latest forecast

Timeline

  1. Published
  2. Record last updated
  3. Exploit likelihood fell
  4. Exploit likelihood jumped
How Precursor Intelligence ranks it
46out of 100Medium

CVE-2023-20178 scores 46. Action: Plan remediation.

We keep the score of every published flaw up to date as the evidence changes. Four things go into the score, and evidence that criminals are actually using it counts most. In order:

  • Evidence it is being exploitedBiggest factor
  • How severe it isStrong factor
  • How widely exposed it isSmaller factor
  • Threat activity around itSmaller factor

85 and above is Critical. Anything confirmed as exploited is always marked for an emergency patch, whatever its score.

When CVE-2023-20178 matches software you track, it lands in your list with its score and the reasons behind it.

See your own ranked list →
Affected products

Who is affected by CVE-2023-20178? 2 products.

The published record lists 2 products from 1 vendor. Versions are shown as published: "before 4.10.07061" means every version up to, but not including, 4.10.07061. If you run one of these, check your version, then go to the fix below.

Remediation

How do I fix CVE-2023-20178? Four steps.

  1. Check whether you run itCompare your versions with the affected products above. Not sure what you run? Precursor Intelligence can work it out from your public website, or you can pick it from a list.
  2. Apply the vendor’s fixInstall the update named in the vendor’s advisory. We’ve put the advisory first in the list.
  3. If you can’t patch todayFollow any mitigation the vendor publishes, and limit who can reach the affected system from the internet until the update is in.
  4. Keep an eye on itTrack the product and we tell you as soon as we spot this flaw on the list of exploited flaws, or a jump in its exploit likelihood.

References

1 link
Precursor Intelligence

Does CVE-2023-20178 affect you? We'll keep checking.

Looking flaws up one at a time doesn't scale. Tell us what you run once, and we tell you which flaws matter to you, in what order, and keep watching for new ones.

  1. Tell us what you runPick your software from a list, or let us work it out from your website.
  2. We match it to every flawOver 400,000 published flaws, checked against your list.
  3. Ranked by real-world riskA 0 to 100 score, led by evidence criminals are using it.
  4. Told as soon as we knowAn alert by email, in the app or by webhook to your own tools.
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CVE-2023-20178 is a high-severity flaw in Anyconnect Secure Mobility Client from Cisco, published on 28 June 2023. An attacker has to be already on the device with an ordinary user account, and nobody has to click anything. If it works, the attacker can read data, change data and take it offline.

It scores 7.8 out of 10 on the CVSS severity scale, which is high. Our risk score for CVE-2023-20178 is 46 out of 100, which is Medium. Its action is "Plan remediation". No sign of exploitation and a low forecast. Patch it in your normal update cycle.

It is not on the list of flaws known to be exploited today. The latest forecast puts the chance of it being used in the next 30 days at 5.4%. That can change at any time, which is why we keep watching.

For Anyconnect Secure Mobility Client from Cisco: before 4.10.07061. The record lists 2 products in all, each with its versions, under "Who is affected" on this page.

Install the update the vendor names in its advisory, linked first under "How do I fix" on this page. If you can't patch today, follow the vendor's mitigation and limit who can reach the affected system from the internet.

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